Author: Dave Farquhar

Advantages of Intel processors

Dave Farquhar Hardware, Retro Computing
Advantages of Intel processors

I’ve talked before about the disadvantages of the Intel 8086. But in spite of its weaknesses, it won. The CPU you are using right now descended from it. Even if you’re reading this on a smartphone, the server that sent the page to your smartphone has an Intel 8086 descendant in it. So what are some advantages of Intel processors? They won for a reason.

In the 1980s, there was a saying that nobody got fired for buying IBM. Intel positioned itself as the logical successor to that, building an ecosystem around its CPUs that allowed it to conduct marketing campaigns as the safe, reliable, compatible choice. It was true enough of the time that Intel built momentum that no other company could match.

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White hat gray hat black hat – what’s the difference?

Dave Farquhar security
White hat gray hat black hat – what’s the difference?

In computer security circles, you’ll hear the words white hat gray hat black hat thrown around a lot. Everyone just assumes you know what they mean. If you’re unsure about it, here’s what the terms mean, and what the difference is.

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Can your computer become infected with a virus via email?

Dave Farquhar security
Can your computer become infected with a virus via email?

Can your computer become infected with a virus via email? It absolutely can. I had one of the worst weeks of my career due to a virus delivered over e-mail. But the good news is, it’s preventable. You can take simple measures to make it much more difficult, if not impossible, to catch a virus via e-mail.

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Budget pfSense build with workstation parts

Dave Farquhar Hardware, security
Budget pfSense build with workstation parts

I’ve written about pfSense before. It’s a router project based on FreeBSD, a free Unix project that never gained the popularity of Linux but is perfectly capable in its own right. But it doesn’t run on router hardware. It’s designed to run on a PC. But a lot of pfSense builds get expensive. So let’s look at a budget pfSense build. Let’s see what we can do for around $100-$150.

I see a lot of pfSense builds with price tags of $300. If you’re OK with using used equipment, you can build a nice machine for half that. And you don’t have to give up quality either. In fact, I’ll argue that building one my way gains you quality. Let’s get to it.

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Are trade deficits bad?

Dave Farquhar Uncategorized
Are trade deficits bad?

I’ve had to explain to several people what a trade deficit is, recently. It’s hard to say whether trade deficits are bad if you don’t understand what they are in the first place. So: What are trade deficits? And are trade deficits bad? I’ll try to explain this topic in the language of a non-economist. There is no reason for this topic to be confusing.

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What is Comptia A+ certification?

Dave Farquhar Hardware
What is Comptia A+ certification?

What is Comptia A+ certification? If you’re looking to get into IT and aren’t having any luck, this is the certification most likely to get you in the door. If you’re looking to get work on the technical side and you feel stuck, this certification is a good one to get.

In my first job interview, my interviewer handed me a PC and a memory module and asked me to install it. It took me about a minute and a half. I would expect anyone with an A+ certification to be able to do the same thing.

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8088 vs 8086

Dave Farquhar Retro Computing
8088 vs 8086

Intel’s 8088 and 8086 chips were close relatives that came out in the late 1970s and became popular in the 1980s thanks to the IBM PC and its compatibles. The chips were very similar and used the same software, but there were some differences. Here’s a look at 8088 vs 8086.

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Convert HTML to Word

Dave Farquhar Office
Convert HTML to Word

There are at least two different ways to convert HTML to Word, depending on what you have to work with. I will assume you have your own reasons for wanting to make the conversion, such as needing more formatting options. Here’s how to make the conversion quickly and easily.

To do this, you only need Word and possibly a Web browser. You won’t need any additional tools or software to make the conversion work.

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1934 Goudey baseball cards

Dave Farquhar Baseball
1934 Goudey baseball cards

Goudey’s second baseball card set is easy to overlook in the shadow of the landmark 1933 set, but I really like the 1934 set. Here’s what to like about 1934 Goudey baseball cards.

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Should I buy a Chromebook? Yes!

Dave Farquhar Hardware, security
Should I buy a Chromebook? Yes!

Should I buy a Chromebook? Absolutely. It’s true that Chromebooks are great for some things and mediocre for others. But Chromebooks are dirt cheap, and great enough at some things that it’s worth buying one if only for security purposes. Online banking is the best example, but not the only one. To me, the question isn’t whether to buy one. It’s whether to buy two.

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